How fitting a black box or camera in your car can slash the price of motor insurance

CONGRATULATIONS, you have passed your driving test. You can now enjoy the freedom of the road – plus paying the bills required to run a car.

A high-tech telematics black box can cut annual insurance costs for a new driver by up to 25 per cent.

They are particularly popular among drivers aged under 25 who pay on average £1,400 a year to insure their wheels – a box can knock £350 off this bill. This ‘big brother’ device usually fits under a dashboard and records all your journeys, speed and any sudden movements of the steering wheel. It even keeps tabs on late night driving. The cost and fitting is included in the insurance premium.

Warnings are sent to your smart phone if you speed or drive badly. If this continues, your insurance might be cancelled.

Another gadget worth considering is a socalled dash-cam, left. This can cut insurance costs by up to 10 per cent, but you may have to pay for the device. It is the size of a sat-nav and records what goes on in front of you via a camera on a one-hour loop. If you are involved in an accident it can prove invaluable when making a claim, especially if it is not your fault.

Check out websites such as GoCompare, comparethemarket, uSwitch, Confused and MoneySuperMarket for the best deals on black box or dash-cam related insurance.